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Which platform is best for your live stream?

27 Jan 2021 - 16:53

The CamStreamer App allows you to stream live to YouTube, Facebook, Dacast, Vimeo, Wowza, IBM Video Streaming, Microsoft Stream, and many other platforms that allow live streaming. Here are 4 of the most popular platforms that work just perfectly with our CamStreamer apps.

1. YouTube

This increasingly popular platform is the most widely used for 24/7 live streaming (tourist and recreational centers, transport cameras, meteorological cameras, wild nature cameras, etc.). This is also a platform with a huge number of videos that also differ in their quality of content.

Setting up a channel on YouTube:

• it’s free and a person aged 13 and up can set up an account
• YouTube has to individually approve streaming (within 1 to 5 days from sending a request)
• setting up a stream and connecting it to the CamStreamer App is simple. Thanks to deep connectivity with the platform via the application’s interface, you’ll be able to set up most of the functions
• viewers don’t have to register in order to watch the video (from any device: a computer, tablet, mobile phone, or television)

Streaming

• the possibility of archiving streams is practical - individual recordings can be divided into playlists and watched retrospectively
• if your stream is shorter than 12 hours, YT automatically saves the video and it can be viewed in the archive
• the videos can be private, public, or shared only with certain people via a link
• you can’t stream to multiple platforms at once 
• setting up a stream takes a couple of minutes and can be automated, via schedule or an external button

Specifications

• you have to be careful when adding videos with music - YouTube guards copyrights. 
• video can be embedded directly onto a website via a link (note: embedding can be done with new accounts only in the event that the channel gains 1K subscribers and 4K watch hours. For older YouTube accounts, embedding is allowed by default)
• video resolution is up to 4K / UHD
• latency: three modes are available: default (30 seconds), low latency (15 seconds), and ultra-low latency (3 seconds)

Marketing tools

• if the connection with AdSense is approved and the user gains 1K subscribers and 4K watch hours, ads can be activated before the video starts, in the actual video, and at the end. You can also set up overlay ads that are shown only to users who are watching the video on their computer. 
• you can add keywords or a catchy title to your video that will make it easier to be found by a search
• after saving the video, live streams can be modified; you can add end cards or screens
• you can add your own preview pictures of the video
  
  

2. Facebook Live

The next platform that is also free and used by many people is Facebook. You can stream live to your webpage or directly within an event. You can also find various streams from religious services from churches, exhibitions, various lectures, cultural events, animal watching, for enjoying the beauty of panoramas, etc. It’s up to you what you choose to share with your community or a broad circle of people.

Setting up an account on Facebook:

• it’s free and a person aged 13 and up can set up an account
• viewers don’t have to register in order to watch the live stream
• it allows streaming for up to 8 hours; the stream is free and the video is archived directly in the page where it was streamed from, allowing people to watch it retrospectively
• the live stream can be watched from various devices (a computer, tablet, mobile phone or television)
• you can use access limitations for age or geographical area or broadcast only to a closed group of people. 

Streaming

• scheduled event can be displayed on your page up to one week in advance.
• the circle of your users can turn on the “Get notifications” button so they don’t miss the stream
• during the live stream, you can place a recommendation link to an external website in a highly visible place
• after clicking on this link, viewers won’t leave the Facebook application or the live stream
• setting up a stream takes a couple of minutes and can be automated, via schedule or an external button
• the administrator can download the video to his or her computer as a video file

Specifications

• from Facebook, video can be embedded directly to a website or blog (the code for embedding can be found in Facebook’s Live Producer settings)
• maximum video resolution is 720p
• the platform is used by institutions such as churches or organizations that have established a page or community - the videos can easily be shared 
• viewers can use various reactions (emoticons), share videos, add comments, and use other interactive functions
• you can’t publish content that violates someone’s intellectual copyright
• copyright also relates to trademarks
• the stream will be canceled when using music that you don’t have a copyright for

Monetization

• to support a specific cause, e.g. a collection for a non-profit organization - you can add a “Donate” button. 
  • the non-profit organization receives 100% of the sum that you collect
• paid events can also be launched (with a one-time fee for access when people register to attend). The payment takes place directly via FB’s payment gateway. 

 

3. Dacast

Contrary to consumer-oriented platforms, this platform allows for live streaming primarily for businesses. It’s used by various companies, enterprises, universities, radio stations, media companies, television stations, religious communities, sports leagues, and also governments and municipal organizations. It’s also good for conferences and online meetings for multiple people. 

Setting up an account on Dacast:

• paid service (30-day trial / $21-$390 / Month); the company’s email must be given when setting up an account; amount paid according to volume of data
• Dacast offers non-stop technical support

Streaming

• allows 24/7 streaming without limitation
• no ads appear during the live stream
• you can live-stream directly from Dacast in high quality to social media and a website simultaneously
• Dacast doesn’t interfere in videos due to copyrights and does not limit the number of viewers that can watch the stream
• setting up a stream takes only a couple of minutes and can be automated, e.g. by pressing an external button

Specifications

• streaming video with low latency
• resolution up to Full HD 1080p.
• offers password protection of your content; you can also limit access to the live stream in specific countries

Monetization

• Dacast offers opportunities to monetize content 
  • three ways to monetize: prepaid, pay-per-view, and advertisements
• on this platform, you can find easy-to-use analytical tools, which will help you evaluate the success of your content 

4. Vimeo Live

Vimeo is a platform primarily for authorial and artistic works. It’s used by individuals and organizations that want a complex streaming platform. Conferences, negotiations, lectures, performances, sporting events, concerts, and more can be streamed live… Vimeo is a guarded community, so you know what audience you’re working with, but it is more targeted. 

Setting up an account on Vimeo:

• paid service (30-day trial / 75 US$ / Month) 
• streaming is possible only with a Premium plan

Streaming

• the maximum length of one stream is 12 hours
• setting up a live stream is easy and you can stream without ads
• you can live-stream directly from the platform in high quality to social media and a website simultaneously without leaving Vimeo
• allows for a live stream to up to three platforms simultaneously via RTMP stream 
• the video remains saved in the library after the stream ends and can be shared
• live streams can be planned in advance 

Specifications

• allows for password protection and only certain websites can be allowed to embed the stream on their pages 
• the maximum output resolution is 1920x1080 
• fullHD quality 
• Vimeo offers high-capacity storage (7 TB) and online support, various educational programs, and email series to learn how to live-stream correctly

Marketing tools

• you can also turn on live chat for your live stream event directly in the broadcast in Vimeo Live and communicate with your viewers.
• offers the opportunity to share another screen in your live broadcast or engage viewers via chat or live Q&A
• Vimeo can be integrated with other tools like Dropbox, Adobe, MailChimp, and Google Analytics 
• videos on Vimeo are advertisement-free
• you can sell or loan out content directly to your audience

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